Individualism changes the way people define their ties to community and to other people outside relationships with family and friends. Individualism can be seen as positive when it is associated with freedom from social constraints and from oppressive conditions. It can be seen as negative when it is seen as leading to separation from others and to an absence of obligations. In the modern world, individualism is seen as part of society helping people to become free from the constraining traditional society. Alexis de Tocqueville believes individualism is where the individual is in a position to develop and nurture intimate affective bonds with loved ones. However Tocqueville sees this as destructive because by developing this intimate bond